One 'Confused' special edition DVD

"Dazed and Confused," Richard Linklater's ("Before Sunrise," "School of Rock") 1970s-based high school drama/comedy, is the kind of film that will forever be a classic. Instead of creating a complicated plot with conventional teen themes, Linklater gives us an honest look at how high school was during the 1970s through the use of realistic characters. \nThe film takes place in a rural Texas town on the last day of high school and chronicles the lives of a handful of students as they prepare for the long-awaited summer through a 24-hour period of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. \nWhat's great about "Dazed and Confused" is how easy it is to relate the characters even though the film was set during the 1970s. Every high school has its own token stoner like Slater (Rory Cochrane,) or its stereotypical football star like Randall "Pink" Floyd (Jason London), and most likely, we all have our own memorable high school experiences. While this film is the director's ode to his high school experience in Texas, we all see a piece of ourselves in the characters.\nLinklater is the type of filmmaker who explores every type of genre imaginable and is usually quite successful. He's tackled the more mainstream Hollywood with movies such as "The Newton Boys" and "School of Rock," but also experimented with more art-oriented films such as "Before Sunrise/Sunset" and the wonderful "Waking Life." \nWith all this said, it is a shame the film's recent "special flashback edition" DVD release does not give this film a proper treatment. Instead of the plethora of special features that were given to Linklater's first film, "Slacker," on its recent Criterion DVD release, this edition fails miserably. For those who have not seen the film, it is worth the rent, but for the hardcore fans thirsting for interviews, commentaries, etc., your wait will have to continue.